$60 million new gift for summer camping from Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel follows their $90 million matching grant announced earlier in support of local community education

With summer on the horizon, Cleveland is poised to become a national model for immersive, community-driven youth engagement—thanks to a transformative $60 million commitment from Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel’s foundation, one of the country’s most visionary forces in modern philanthropy.

As a 4-to-1 matching grant, the initiative will multiply community investment into a potential $75 million revitalization of Jewish camp life in Northeast Ohio.

For every dollar raised locally, the Mandel Foundation will contribute four—an approach that not only amplifies impact but galvanizes communal ownership at an unprecedented scale.

At the center of this landmark gift is a sweeping reimagination of the Mandel Jewish Community Center’s day and overnight camp ecosystem.

Widely regarded as the largest single philanthropic investment ever directed to an individual JCC, the funding will catalyze both physical transformation and strategic expansion—ensuring that Cleveland’s next generation has access to world-class environments for growth, identity, and belonging.

Foundation President and CEO Jehuda Reinharz underscored the deeper vision behind the investment, positioning Jewish camp experiences as a cornerstone of long-term communal vitality.

“Investing in the Jewish camp experience is among the most effective things we can do to ensure Jewish continuity,” he noted. “This partnership creates an opportunity for children to discover that being Jewish is joyful, relevant, and theirs to own for life.”

The initiative arrives at a pivotal moment. A recent community study revealed a 31% increase in families actively seeking meaningful Jewish connection—particularly among those not enrolled in Jewish day schools.

The Mandel Foundation’s strategic focus on camps directly addresses this widening “engagement gap,” positioning informal education and summer experiences as powerful entry points into Jewish life.

Jesse Rosen, President and CEO of the Mandel JCC, described the project as nothing short of generational in its scope.

“By creating these world-class environments, we are ensuring our children build their most transformative summer memories and lifelong friendships right here in their own Cleveland Jewish community,” he said. “This investment allows us to finally bridge the ‘belonging gap’ and build the future our community deserves.”

The planned enhancements are both expansive and deeply intentional.

The JCC’s Beachwood campus will be redeveloped into a dynamic, year-round Jewish Youth Hub—featuring a climate-controlled fieldhouse, a reimagined aquatics center, and a renovated theater designed to support cultural programming and community gatherings.

Day camp operations will be consolidated and elevated within this modernized footprint, significantly enhancing capacity and experience.

Meanwhile, Camp Wise—the historic overnight camp founded in 1907 with the support of philanthropist Samuel D. Wise—will undergo a comprehensive transformation that honors its legacy while redefining its future.

Aging cabins will give way to contemporary accommodations with in-unit bathrooms, complemented by a new dining hall, recreation and arts centers, and upgraded staff housing.

The result will be a premier overnight camp environment aligned with today’s families’ expectations while preserving the spirit that has defined Camp Wise for over a century.

Once complete, the expanded system is expected to serve approximately 1,300 campers each summer, dramatically increasing access while reinforcing Cleveland’s reputation as a hub of thoughtful, forward-looking Jewish philanthropy.

Construction will be carefully phased around camp seasons, with full completion anticipated by June 2028—ensuring continuity for participating families while steadily unveiling enhancements.

This latest commitment follows another headline-making investment from the Mandel Foundation: a $90 million matching grant announced in January 2025 to strengthen Cleveland’s Jewish day schools.

Together, these initiatives form a cohesive, multi-pronged strategy to strengthen Jewish identity across formal and experiential education.

As many communities grapple with engagement and continuity, the Mandel Foundation’s approach stands out for its clarity, scale, and catalytic intent.

By combining visionary capital with community participation, they are not just funding programs—we are building a durable future.